Chapter 26 #2
“The Drache fortune is linked to you as well.” He presses on, staring me down as if the truth is something I can easily unravel, “If we successfully break into that vault, it’s going to be your inheritance on the line. The funds that determine your future.”
“Who’s to say I want to wait for my inheritance? Maybe I want it now.”
“If it were that simple, you could easily contact a lawyer and review the terms of your trust fund. Most of the larger sums get released when you’re twenty-five.”
I shrug, “Must be a few birthdays away.”
Impatience sparks in his eyes, “If we’re going to be a team, we’re going to have to trust each other.”
“Trust has nothing to do with teamwork, Devil.” Lifting my brow, I meet his irritated gaze, “You needed a crew and now you have one. Trust or not, we need each other to get the job done.”
Christopher regards me silently. I can feel the blunt tip of his nails prying at the glue keeping my secrets locked together.
“It’s not money you’re after, is it?”
When I don’t respond, he lets out a dry laugh, “You might like keeping your cards close to your chest but that’s not how I operate. You either lay them out on the table or I walk away.”
There’s a palpable tension in the air, a tension that tells me he means it.
“Wolf Hollow is a dictatorship.” Speaking slowly, I start shuffling my deck, “It is masked by the counsel which is controlled by the wealthiest members of this town, but at its core Wolf Hollow falls under the Dragon’s command.”
“To wield that amount of power, you need something to hold. A leash to keep your subjects in check, particularly when the subjects come from the richest, most corrupt families this town has ever seen.”
“She’s blackmailing them.”
“Blackmail is perhaps too simple of a term.” I pause, picking out a card and throwing it on the table, “She offers favours. Deals which are impossible to repay and bargains which lead to lifelong commitments of service. She has built an empire on accomplishing the impossible, and in doing so, has trapped the villains of Wolf Hollow in the palm of her hand.”
Understanding dawns, “You’re going to overthrow her.”
“The Dragon has been at the helm for sixteen years. It’s time for a new generation to take the wheel.”
Christopher stares at my smile for a moment too long.
“What’s the split?”
“Marlin and I have a pre-arranged agreement. Vector will help with the grunt work but a little bonus to his wage will cover that. And you,” I pause, waiting for his eyes to return to mine, “Get to walk away with the Dragon’s list of offshore accounts.
Millions of dollars printed on a piece of paper just waiting to be taken. ”
He nods slowly, “And what are you getting out of this?”
“An empire.” My shoulders lift carelessly, “All the power and independence a girl like me could ever hope to achieve.”
“A girl like you.”
“Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten our encounters already, Devil. I will be terribly disappointed.”
A soft chuckle slips from his mouth before he looks away.
“Half the offshore accounts are yours. I’ll be a part of your team but only if you get to walk away with something.”
I tilt my head, coaxing the surprise back from my features.
“I do not need your pity. Or your money.”
“It’s fifty percent of the inheritance you would have gotten in the first place. I wouldn’t call it a pity share.”
“And yet that offer does not stand for the rest of our team members.”
“You’re taking care of them, and I…”
He stops himself too late, the words tumbling silently from his mouth.
And I’m taking care of you.
“I’m not a part of your crew.”
It’s a harsh reminder, one that feels just as cruel escaping my lips.
“This is a one-time deal, Devil. We’re teaming up for a common goal and after it’s accomplished we go our separate ways. A temporary arrangement meant to be forgotten.”
I stab at the blooming hope until it withers and dies. Collapses into itself until there’s nothing but the cold empty pieces that make up the organ inside my chest.
Christopher watches me slaughter the moment with an inkling of remorse shuttering across his face.
“I’ll be a part of your team, Miss Drache.” He lets out a long breath, “But I won’t be able to forget you. Not before and certainly not after this is over.”
I watch him glance at my scars one last time. Listen to the sharp intake of breath as he takes in the damage careless men left behind.
The hesitation in his step before he turns and walks away.
An uncomfortable weight settles on my chest as I watch him leave. The metallic scent of blood lingers in the air, the bitter memories of my childhood washing away the warmth of his presence.
By the time Christopher is gone, there are nothing but chills wreaking havoc on my body.
The steady drip of poison spreading across my tongue.
The stench of death staining my flesh.
Pulling the silver charm from my wrist, I blow into it and wait for my baby to rejoin me. Together, we leave the fractured fairytale and return to our reality, the empty manor that doubles as a prison.
The place I’m forced to call home.